Synopses & Reviews
Now in its second edition, The Successful Entrepreneur's Guidebook explores the characteristics of “champion” enterprises and helps entrepreneurs develop professionally and grow their business. Basing their program on Cranfield School of Management research, which analyzed the accounts of some 15,000 firms, the authors have distilled the essence of how to achieve profitable growth. They chart the problems that owner-managed firms are likely to encounter and suggest ways to anticipate and resolve them.
Packed with helpful assignments, topical case studies and a well-balanced use of management models, it enables entrepreneurs to examine their businesses now, determine where they want to take their business, and create a business plan to take them there.
Review
"Full of examples of how to grow your business -- and how not to." -- The Independent (UK)
Synopsis
Based on research at Cranfield School of Management, this title is suitable for entrepreneurs who want to grow and develop both their business and themselves. Containing many assignments and case studies, it helps them answer the questions: where is the business now? What are its strengths and weaknesses? And where can the business go from here?
Synopsis
Now in its second edition,
The Successful Entrepreneur's Guidebook explores the characteristics of "champion" enterprises and helps entrepreneurs develop professionally and grow their business. Basing their program on Cranfield School of Management research, which analyzed the accounts of some 15,000 firms, the authors have distilled the essence of how to achieve profitable growth. They chart the problems that owner-managed firms are likely to encounter and suggest ways to anticipate and resolve them.
Packed with helpful assignments, topical case studies and a well-balanced use of management models, it enables entrepreneurs to examine their businesses now, determine where they want to take their business, and create a business plan to take them there.
Synopsis
Based on Cranfield School of Management research, which analyzed the accounts of some 15,000 firms, the authors have distilled the essence of how to achieve profitable growth. They chart the problems that owner-managed firms are likely to encounter and suggest ways to anticipate and resolve them.
About the Author
Colin Barrow is formerly Head of the Enterprise Group at Cranfield School of Management, UK, where he taught entrepreneurship in the MBA program. He is also a visiting professor at business schools in the US, Asia, France, Ireland and Austria. Robert Brown directed the Graduate Enterprise Program at Cranfield and leads the course on entrepreneurship in its MBA program. He is co-author of The Business Plan Workbook.A sportswriter for The Washington Post, Liz Clarke has also covered NASCAR for USA Today, The Charlotte Observer, and The Dallas Morning News, and was twice honored with the Russ Catlin award for excellence in motorsports journalism. She spent four seasons as a Post beat writer on the Washington Redskins and has written extensively about the Olympics, tennis, and college sports. A graduate of Barnard College, she lives in Washington, D.C., with her beloved Lab, Rusty.
Table of Contents
Contents
About this book
Introduction
Part 1: Where are we now?
Phases of organisational growth
1 Your mission
Mission statements; Prime objectives; Assignment 1
2 Opportunities and threats
Your marketing environment; Assignment 2; Assignment 3; Assignment 4
3 Strengths and weaknesses
Products and services; Assignment 5; Pricing and distribution; Assignment 6; Advertising and promotion; Assignment 7; Sales and sales management; Assignment 8
4 The financial position
Business objectives; Ratios - the tools of analysis; Measures of growth; Measures of profitability; Credit control; Sources of financial information; Assignment 9
5 How to diagnose your organisation
Organisation ‘fit with the environment; Your organisational phase
of growth; Benchmarking against best practice; Characteristics of effective organisations; Assignment 10
6 Assessing people, structure and systems
Assessing people capability; Assessing structure capability; Assessing systems capability; Assignment 11; Assignment 12
Part 2: Where are we going?
7 Marketing options
Critical success factors (CSFs); Assignment 13
8 Marketing strategy: focus and priorities
Improved productivity; Increasing margins; Increasing volume; Assignment 14
9 Choosing between alternatives
Analysis of strategic options; Assignment 15
10 Financing growth
Internal sources of funds; Debt and equity; Other ways to fund growth; Assignment 16
11 Acquisitions, mergers, joint ventures and divestments
Acquisitions; Mergers; Joint ventures; Divestments; Going on the acquisition trail; Licensing; Assignment 17
12 Visionary leadership
Developing a vision; Assignment 18
Part 3: How will we get there?
Revise the company mission statement; Set specific objectives and goals
13 The marketing plan
Marketing strategies for growth; ‘The five Ps; Key company competences; Sales forecast and control; Assignment 19
14 The people plan
Where people fit into the business plan; Your people objectives; Key elements of the people plan; Assignment 20
15 Managing change
Change hurts; The predictable process of change; Identifying and managing resistance; Diagnosing readiness for change; Assignment 21
16 The financial plan
Planning assumptions; The cash-flow forecast; The profit-and-loss account; The balance sheet; Sensitivity analysis; Summary of performance ratios; Financing requirements; Assignment 22
17 Writing and presenting your business plan
Packaging; Layout and content; Writing and editing; Who to send the business plan to; The oral presentation; What financiers look for in a business plan; Assignment 23
18 Exit routes
Types of sale; Who can help; Confidentiality; Due diligence; Valuing the business; Afterwards; Professional advice